Upper Kettle Creek?!?

[thesmayway]

Checked out a new section of Kettle well above where it goes under Rt. 44. I got skunked which I'm still in complete shock over. I have NEVER been skunked on a native stream rated higher than Class D. On top of that, I didn't even see a trout I spooked....

There has been some work done to add large woody debris to the stream. I fished above, below, and under it. I fished riffles, holes. I fished with dries, nymphs, micro bugger and even tried a mop fly in desperation... NOTHING! Usually natives aren't picky about anything and once I wasn't doing anything with my standard brookie methods I slowed way down and approached it like I was fishing for pressured wild browns... still nothing.

So I'm wondering if anyone that knows Upper Kettle well can shed some light on what's up with this stream. I bumped into a gentleman who has a camp right on the stretch who says he never sees anyone fishing it besides him.

There was a tiny bit of snow on the ground in places that likely all melted Friday night and Saturday morning. The water had obviously been high in recent days from the looks of the stream bank. I couldn't find a boot track that said someone fished just ahead of me. It was in the mid 50s when i fished. My stream thermometer is broken so no water temp. Is there water too cold for brookies to feed or possible that the recent changes in snow melt and cold nights have them shut down?

Is this stream in peril? I read some stuff from the PAFBC about a significant drop in biomass, but it was pretty dated. Was it the conditions yesterday? Or was it really just me??? Was the LWD added as precautionary or in response to a depleted population?

PM me if you would rather.

 

[wildtrout2]

There's plenty of trout in the upper Kettle, I think you were fishing some pretty cold water temps that were in the low to mid 40's. I never have good catching when streams are that cold.

 

[jifigz]

Fishing has been TOUGH lately. I was back on East Licking Creek last week and got skunked. In fact, for about the past 2 weeks it has been super hard. East Licking Creek is jam packed with native brookies and it is stocked and I couldn't coax a single thing. In fact, every angler I've run into recently and chatted with has seemed pretty bummed about the lack of success.

 

[jifigz]

I wouldn't attribute the lack of success to cold water temps, either. I have no problem plucking fish from firigid waters in February from a small freestone mtn stream to a larger limestoner. I honestly think that some combination or environmental factors has the fishing tough. Whether it is the barometric pressure, the rain and rapidly changing water conditions, the phase of the moon, or other factors but times are tough right now.

 

[troutbert]

Where specifically was woody debris added? I'd like to see that.

Does anyone have any more info about this project?

Regarding the fishing on upper Kettle, I've had some good fishing up there. And sometimes it's been very slow.

That seems mostly dependent on being there when conditions (flow and temps) are favorable.

When there is snow on the ground, fishing wild trout freestoners can be pretty tough.

Were you fishing in the morning or afternoon? With dries, nymphs, streamers?

 

[thesmayway]

Jifigz, I assumed the constantly changing conditions were likely to blame. They probably can't "get settled".

Fished 4ish to 630ish. Started with a stimulator, then also tried nymphs, streamers and mop fly. There were a few bugs coming off, but nothing rising.

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah, it’s fine. I saw a YouTube video the other day of some guys fishing upper Kettle this late Winter or early Spring. I recognized the one hole where two braids come back together and there’s a massive stump and logjam in it. They seemed to have a pretty good day for late Winter conditions. Water was high, and it looked to be a relatively warm day, for the time anyway, so they had that going for them.

I was up two weeks ago to open up camp and help stock. Snowed and was cold and windy every day. We went out one day from the Rausch Rd. bridge up to the confluence with Germania Branch. Same report as you...skunk with no fish observed. Give it another month up there and it’ll come alive.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

It's the weather.

 

[salvelinus]

I fished upper Kettle along Leetonia Road on 4/13. I only caught one brookie which I thought was odd. Water temp was only 46-47 degrees though. Later I read the April Kettle Creek Watershed Association newsletter, which recapped the Winter season.

"This past winter has been one for the record books in the Kettle Creek valley. The single digit high’s in early 2018 followed by quickly warming temperatures and rainfall caused large ice jams and flooding along Kettle. Anchor ice was also a problem on the stream and many of its tributaries. Anchor ice occurs when the temperature gets so low that the rocks on the stream bottom begin to freeze, which can have adverse effects on aquatic insects. Additionally, the large ice jams scoured out much of the stream bottom in places causing some changes in the flow."

newsletter

I hope it was just adverse conditions and not the ravages of winter. Time will tell when the weather and water warms.

 

[JJZ]

Tough winter, but those trout somehow manage to survive in them hills. Hunkered down in the deep valley where bear and rattlers play. Dusty truck voyages and long hikes under a blistering sun is the name of the game here. Your reward, small specks of light plucked in seams and crannies where you thought there were none. Your boots will tell the tale and your legs will be worn. Also, some of them hollows are spooked! If you believe in them things, I do!

 

[thesmayway]

Great info from everyone. I'll just have to go back again in a few months

 

[tjsingle]

I was up that way last weekend too, fished a couple brookie streams and found the same result.

 

[sandfly]

the tribs up here don't really get started till the water temps get above 50 degrees for several days in a row. usually around the middle of may they start to turn on. takes a while for the brookies here to acclimate after the winters.

 

[MattM]

I'm headed to Cross Fork Thursday, and it looks like rain the entire time. Thunderstorms tonight and Tuesday as well. Right now the gauge is at 1200 cfs and 3.5 ft. What is considered safe wading for this stream? I've never had the pleasure to fish Kettle or it's tribs and have had this weekend planned for almost a year. Kinda bummed but should I be? will water come down quick or will be fishing small feeder tribs and drinking more.

 

[Swattie87]

Kettle holds its water better than most freestoners. Its curve after a big rain falls slower than other similar sized freestone streams it seems...lack of development in its watershed I assume. (Generally this is a good thing, but not when you get a big rain a few days before your trip.) 1200 is completely blown out...To its banks and likely out of them at spots.

500ish, maybe a little more, and you can selectively fish in places, but don't expect to get around it too well. Not sure it'll be down that low by Thursday though. 200-300 is probably ideal for reference.

At 1200, the bigger tribs will also be blown out and unfishable. You're down to the really, really small tribs of tribs stuff at that flow, if that even. If it comes down some, I'd start poking around the tribs from bigger to smaller until you find something that seems reasonable. With no other major rain, I think you'd find decent fishing on the tribs by the end of the week, but it can't take much more. I'd pack the beer to be safe.

Weather happens. Can't control it when you plan a trip in advance. Just make the best of what you're dealt and enjoy anyway. I'm up that way in the Fall for a long weekend most years. The last 3 years, we've missed the rain (to raise the low water) by one week each year. Nothing you can do...Though we're going a week later this year. ;-)

 

[The_Sasquatch]

It's fishing well now. Fish are still there.

 

[wildtrout2]

The_Sasquatch wrote:
It's fishing well now. Fish are still there.

I'm sure the fish are still there, but at 1150cfs I don't think it's fishing very well.

 

[MattM]

Maybe the gauge is busted, lol? I hate to be a complainer but this will be three years in a row that my annual trip with my Dad and friends will be ruined from blown out unfishable streams..... :-( I don't have the luxury to fish when the conditions are right so my one big trip a year is always planned in advance. Sucks!

 

[troutbert]

MattM wrote:
I'm headed to Cross Fork Thursday, and it looks like rain the entire time. Thunderstorms tonight and Tuesday as well. Right now the gauge is at 1200 cfs and 3.5 ft. What is considered safe wading for this stream? I've never had the pleasure to fish Kettle or it's tribs and have had this weekend planned for almost a year. Kinda bummed but should I be? will water come down quick or will be fishing small feeder tribs and drinking more.

I'm planning to be up that way this weekend, and I think the fishing will be excellent.

If the streams are not out of their banks, you can find good places to fish.

Just keep going further and further upstream on the small tribs.

 

[MattM]

troutbert wrote:

MattM wrote:
I'm headed to Cross Fork Thursday, and it looks like rain the entire time. Thunderstorms tonight and Tuesday as well. Right now the gauge is at 1200 cfs and 3.5 ft. What is considered safe wading for this stream? I've never had the pleasure to fish Kettle or it's tribs and have had this weekend planned for almost a year. Kinda bummed but should I be? will water come down quick or will be fishing small feeder tribs and drinking more.

I'm planning to be up that way this weekend, and I think the fishing will be excellent.

If the streams are not out of their banks, you can find good places to fish.

Just keep going further and further upstream on the small tribs.

It's looking better, even after that quick hitter storm yesterday. We are there to fish so I will be exploring a bit if Kettle isn't in great shape.